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Chubby the Bear is a cub who lives in a forest with other bears and his friends Roly Poly, a raccoon, Bucky, a beaver, and a swarm of friendly bees. Bullied and taunted by the other bears because of his weight and deeply hurt by their behavior, Chubby thinks at first of ways to retaliate by calling the bears derogatory nicknames.
To discourage Chubby's negative behavior, which will only result in additional trouble, Bucky points out Chubby's strengths and why he and Roly Poly are friends with the bear cub. Roly Poly concurs, and Chubby then develops a constructive plan of action. With help from the bees—who are enjoyably proactive—as well as his own desire to act in positive ways thanks to his friends' support, Chubby wins the respect and friendship of his peers, who apologize for their previous bad behavior.
McCullough and illustrator Maryanne Smith bring the author's tale, which is based on his own experiences, beautifully to life. The narrative clearly shows how fortunate Chubby is to have the positive influences and feedback from the raccoon and beaver to help him realize his self-worth and the lasting positive results of a friendly, rather than bullying, response. This book is geared toward early readers, but even younger readers will likely understand the message if someone reads it to them. It may also be enjoyed by teenagers and adults who will appreciate the positive input about self-esteem and forgiveness. Smith's beautiful illustrations of the forest and characters punctuate the positive lessons of the text.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review